Press Releases

Nova Scotia School Boards Association Responds to Passing of Bill 72

Halifax, NS - On Thursday, March 8, 2018, Bill 72, An Act to Reform the Administration of the Public Education System, introduced by the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development was passed by a vote of 25 to 21. Bill 72 will mark the dissolution of the seven regional English school boards in Nova Scotia.

"The Nova Scotia School Boards Association and school board members across the province are devastated by the adoption of Bill 72," said Dave Wright, Vice President of the Nova Scotia School Boards Association. "The loss of elected, local and diverse voice in public education is a tragedy. Governing school boards brought together individuals from all different backgrounds who came together to serve the public. We are not specialists in any one area of education - that is the role of staff. Governing school board members are intended to represent their communities, and for us that included students and families."

As per the Act, the seven English school boards will be dissolved effective March 31, 2018. The Conseil scolaire acadien provincial will remain in place with a new piece of legislation. Their role in representing minority language is protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

"The loss of elected members across the province will result in a lack of community voice and decision making, a lack of influence. Governing boards are greatly different from advisory councils who do not have decision making abilities," said Mr. Wright. "Governing school board members met in public to debate serious issues that affected students, staff and communities. This level of transparency has been removed."

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For further information, please contact:

Trish Smith – Communications Manager

Nova Scotia School Boards Association

Office: 902-491-2856 Cell: 902-497-0951

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Halifax, NS - On Thursday, March 1, 2018 the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development held a briefing session to discuss the Education Reform Act, dissolving the seven English school boards in Nova Scotia effective March 31, 2018. This legislation is being introduced immediately.

"We remain concerned about the loss of regional elected voices for students and communities across the province," said Hank Middleton, President, Nova Scotia School Boards Association. "Today a piece of legislation has been introduced to effectively remove a level of democratic representation for the people of Nova Scotia who were dedicated to public education and the success of our students. It's a sad day."

The legislation removes the seven English governing school boards, but the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development has indicated a new piece of legislation will protect the governing role of the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial. "We appreciate the Minister's understanding of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms for minority groups to have a voice in the delivery of education," said Mr. Middleton. "However, this does nothing to help the English speaking students, families and communities in having access to an elected body of decision makers in education."

Governing school board members across the province remain committed to education and supporting communities through the transition. "Board members care about students and education. At the end of the day, that is why we are all here," said Mr. Middleton. "We do not want to see further disruption in the education system as we know that harms students."

Governing school boards in Nova Scotia are responsible for holding the education system accountable, providing community input, discussing, debating and approving policy, and ensuring the education system is serving the needs of local communities and students. "We are losing elected positions representing African Nova Scotian communities, and appointed positions for Mi'kmaq representatives," said Mr. Middleton. "With their fellow board members, these individuals sat at decision making tables, not advisory tables, where collectively we could make a positive impact on education for our students. Regional representation addresses the fact that what works in Halifax may not work in Digby, or Sydney, or Annapolis. This local decision-making and oversight ability is being stripped away with the dissolution of governing school boards."

The NSSBA published a written response to the report and recommendations by Avis Glaze, specifically calling to attention concerns around the review process and aspects of the mandate that were not thoroughly addressed. This can be found online at www.nssba.ca.

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For further information, please contact:

Trish Smith – Communications Manager

Nova Scotia School Boards Association

Office: 902-491-2856 Cell: 902-497-0951

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Drivers Reminded to Stop for School Buses as Students Return to School

Number of school bus red light violations during the 2016-2017 school year alarming

August 31, 2017, Dartmouth, NS – With students heading back to school next week, drivers are being reminded to watch for school buses. Over 80,000 students travel by school bus every day, and their safety depends on all road users.

Nova Scotia School Boards Adopt Resolutions Calling for Collaboration

HALIFAX, NS: At the Nova Scotia School Boards Association Annual General Meeting on May 27, 2017, school board members adopted 13 resolutions on a variety of topics. Resolutions adopted by the membership at the AGM come from member school boards, and are often calls to action to support public education and local governance.

Editorial from President Hank Middleton

For 63 years school boards have come together at the provincial level through the Nova Scotia School Boards Association (NSSBA) to strengthen the non-partisan, local community representation for public education. Over the years countless Nova Scotians have served as school board members to support students by providing oversight and holding the system accountable.

Students Create Videos to Raise Awareness of School Bus Safety

December 21, 2016, Dartmouth, NS – As the first semester comes to an end, disappointing data from school boards across the province has been released concerning the number of “red light violations,” or cars passing school buses that have stopped and extended their red flashing stop arm. At the time of this news release, over 400 red light violations had been reported by bus drivers to their school boards from September to December. Every day, over 82,000 students across the province travel on 1129 school buses to and from school. Each time a motorist commits a red light violation they are risking those children’s lives.

Number of vehicles passing stopped school buses concerning

Dartmouth, NS - School boards across the province are reporting high numbers of traffic violations as motorists pass school buses stopped with red lights flashing and stop signs extended on a daily basis. From September 1 to February 29, 2016, there were over 1100 reported school bus red light violations in Nova Scotia. Every day there are over 82,000 students travelling across the province on 1129 school buses.

NSSBA Responds to the Auditor General's Report

Many of the observations and recommendations from the Nova Scotia Office of the Auditor General align with the work being done by the Nova Scotia School Boards Association to support school boards

Dartmouth, NS - HALIFAX, NS, November 18, 2015 – In a report to the House of Assembly, the Auditor General made multiple recommendations to the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and three audited school boards to improve oversight of education programming. The Nova Scotia School Boards Association has identified an alignment of association priorities with the recommendations from the report, and is committed to working with school boards across the province.